Fearlings
by SerenityFalconNormandy
Summary: Written for the Dragon Age Reddit Weekly Writing Prompt: After Adamant, the Inquisitor dreams differently. The nightmares found in Adamant Fortress have followed Fen'lath back to Skyhold, and Solas is determined that they will not trouble her anymore.


_The Nightmare loomed over her, voice rumbling and booming like thunder. Fen'lath couldn't understand it as she ran in a panic. The graveyard suddenly appeared before her, the headstones standing taller than the battlements of Skyhold. A gigantic spider leg stabbed through the Fadescape in front of her and she dodged around it._

 _The first headstone cracked, and started to fall, threatening to flatten her if she couldn't get out of the way. The giant etching of DESPAIR was rushing towards her, and she just managed to dart around it, hearing the mournful howl of a despair demon as it shattered on impact. TEMPTATION rose over her on a collision course with MADNESS, and the deafening sound of the two crashing into each other drowned out the laughter of the Nightmare for only a moment. A desire demon that resembled Dorian wrapped itself around a raging Iron Bull, laughing and whispering in his ear as they watched her pass. Bull reached for her with a roar, and only a quick dodge and the swiftness of her flight saved her from being torn asunder._

 _IRRELEVANCE, NOTHING, and HIMSELF headstones boxed her in, the shadow of the demon fell over her as she screamed "Help me! Someone!"_

 _Desperate, Fen launched a Stonefist and toppled IRRELEVANCE, which let out an outraged wail. A formless mass tried to entangle her while a red lyrium facsimile of Blackwall charged her, shield up and sword swinging. The Anchor pulsed, pulling them both away. Racing past BECOMING HIS PARENTS and HELPLESSNESS, Fen leaped over the bent and broken forms of Varric and Cassandra. They were so close to each other, but not even noticing the other as one lost himself in a bottle and the other was weighed down with chains._

 _She skidded to a halt, a sob tearing from her throat when she spotted Solas leaning against DYING ALONE. His gorgeous stormcloud eyes were hazed over in death, and long, slim fingers were reaching for her. Fen fell to her knees next to him, crying out, "No, no! Solas, vhenan!"_

" _You destroy everything you touch." The Nightmare's voice rumbled over her. She looked up and watched the words on the tombstone morph from DYING ALONE to FAILURE. "You will fail, and their deaths will be your fault, just like Stroud's was."_

 _Fen screamed, hunching over Solas's corpse in the vain hope of protecting it from being crushed as the headstone tipped over and began to fall. "Vhenan! Wake up!"_

* * *

" _Vhenan_. _Ma'theneras._ " Solas's voice broke through as Fen'lath flailed in the sweat-soaked sheets. "I am here, _vhenan_. It was a nightmare, only a nightmare. You are safe."

Her shaking fingers twined themselves in the leather strip that held his jawbone amulet. She attempted to speak, but all that came out was a broken sob. He gathered her close, tilting her head into his neck and rubbing her shoulder and back with his free hand. Hot tears ran down her cheeks and traced across the bare skin of his collarbone. Finally, she rasped out, "I don't dream of anything else anymore. Ever since Adamant. I used to dream of so many things, but now every night, it's that same bloody, blighted nightmare."

Solas closed his eyes, a pained expression crossing his face as he pressed his cheek to her temple. "Five weeks of this, _vhenan._ I fear the stress of preparing for our trip to the Winter Palace has not been helping."

"No, it hasn't. If I fail-"

"You will not fail, Fen. You have a quick mind, and you already sent out messengers to gather the leaders of the elves in Orlais to meet us on the road to Halamshiral. You chose your course of action. With the People behind you, and the skill of those of us who have pledged ourselves to you, there is no way you will fail."

"I wish I had your confidence." To his relief, she wasn't crying anymore. Her breath was warm, fluttering across his chest, and her fingers had untangled from his amulet to spread out over his heart.

"Well, shall we talk about what troubles you? Perhaps it will help ease your mind some."

"I'm afraid I'll present my case for keeping Celene as empress, as much as I loathe her, and they will still ask me to throw my support behind Gaspard, even though I loathe him more." Her voice hardened. "I heard rumors that he asked to hunt us Dalish three times and was sent after darkspawn instead. There are representatives from clans there who will be able to attest that he didn't always ask every time he wanted to hunt us like animals."

Solas was silent for a moment, mulling over what he knew before speaking carefully. "I trust that you know how to present what you have from Sister Leliana, Lady Montilyet, and your own careful inquiries. Halamshiral was a terrible thing, yes. Gaspard and his ilk have been a slow destruction for the People in Orlais, death by a thousand cuts. One elf here, a half dozen there the next week. I am sure you can help them see your reasoning and they will agree with you."

"Thank you." It was a quiet whisper against his throat.

He fought the urge to stalk through the Fade and find Deshanna to shake her for making not supporting Fen'lath enough when she was younger, that she still questioned her decision making abilities so harshly now, even with reassurance from many sources.

"I think you should try sleeping again, _vhenan_." Solas quieted her protest with a gentle movement of his hand on her back. "With your permission, I will join you in your nightmare if it starts again and do what I can to assist. I hope you will say yes this time."

"Is it like the dreams you create for me?"

"Hmm. The process is similar, but I am entering your dreams, instead of bringing your consciousness into mine after I have shaped them. I believe I can assist, though."

The tremor that ran through her made anger boil under his skin. A silver flash reflecting off the goblet on her side table signalled that his power was rebuilding itself. He must be careful, but he could use it to his advantage in this case.

"You won't leave me alone in the nightmare?"

"I will join you as soon as I observe it starting."

Fen burrowed into his neck and chest. "Yes."

With a nod, Solas pulled back and ran his fingers down her face, brushing finger pads over her eyelids and easing her into sleep. Tucking her firmly back into place against his side, he slid across the Veil himself in the half-sleep needed when he was going to interact with another person's dreams. In the bubble of Fadescape that Fen'lath occupied it was quiet. She had not yet started to dream, and in his sight, she appeared to be sleeping on her side on a cushion of green mist. His growl echoed across the Fade when he spotted the writhing mass of Fearlings skittering around the edge of the bubble.

They must have followed the survivors of Adamant, and were drawn to the Anchor since it had called them while Fen had been in the Fade physically. They were the reason she was being tortured nightly by the recurring nightmare. Taking on the form of Fen'Harel, he dove into the mass, sending the spider-like creatures scattering. Shrieks and wails rent the air as they fled. Solas snarled when the two largest Fearlings broke into Fen'lath's bubble, starting the nightmare anew for her. They joined to take the form of the Nightmare demon. He would join Fen and help her slay the Fearlings, and that would serve as warning to keep the rest far away from her. The Dread Wolf's Dalish Wolf was off-limits.

* * *

 _The Nightmare loomed over her, voice rumbling and booming like thunder. Fen'lath couldn't understand it as she ran in a panic. The graveyard suddenly appeared before her, the headstones standing taller than the battlements of Skyhold. A gigantic spider leg stabbed through the Fadescape in front of her and she dodged around it._

" _Vhenan." Solas appeared before her, clothed in armor she had only seen in ancient inscriptions. "This is a nightmare brought about by Fearlings that followed you from Adamant. We are going to kill them."_

 _Fen'lath skidded to a stop. She… remembered. "What do we do?"_

 _The dream twisted around her, and Fen looked down. Silver and bronze armor molded to her body, with a black wolf pelt edging the neck and shoulders. Tyrdda's staff formed in her hands as Solas hefted a staff that she knew, somehow, was called Heart of Pride. He smiled at her, sharp and feral. "What do we do, vhenan? We hunt."_


End file.
